diff --git a/.github/workflows/build_release.yml b/.github/workflows/build_release.yml
index 0e308e7..c39f6ea 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build_release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build_release.yml
@@ -4,13 +4,17 @@ on:
   workflow_dispatch:
     inputs:
       playwright_version:
-        description: 'Playwright-Python version tag (e.g. v1.56.0)'
+        description: 'Playwright-Python version tag to build from (e.g. v1.61.0)'
         required: true
-        default: 'v1.56.0'
+        default: 'v1.61.0'
       patchright_release:
-        description: 'Patchright release version (e.g. 1.56.0)'
+        description: 'Patchright-Python release version to publish (e.g. 1.61.0)'
         required: true
-        default: '1.56.0'
+        default: '1.61.0'
+      patchright_driver_version:
+        description: 'Patched driver version to bundle (bugbasesecurity/patchright release, e.g. 1.61.0). Defaults to patchright_release.'
+        required: false
+        default: ''
 
 permissions:
   contents: write
@@ -22,6 +26,7 @@ jobs:
     env:
       patchright_release: ${{ github.event.inputs.patchright_release }}
       playwright_version: ${{ github.event.inputs.playwright_version }}
+      patchright_driver_version: ${{ github.event.inputs.patchright_driver_version }}
     steps:
       - name: Checkout Repository
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
diff --git a/patch_python_package.py b/patch_python_package.py
index 7093e05..2ee0b54 100644
--- a/patch_python_package.py
+++ b/patch_python_package.py
@@ -5,11 +5,46 @@
 import toml
 
 patchright_version = os.environ.get('patchright_release') or os.environ.get('playwright_version')
+patchright_driver_version = os.environ.get('patchright_driver_version') or patchright_version
+
+# The bundled driver must be the PATCHED Patchright driver (stealth lives in the
+# driver: navigator.webdriver=false, no Runtime.enable, --disable-blink-features
+# =AutomationControlled in chromiumSwitches — the Python-layer patches alone do
+# NOT cover these). Our nodejs fork publishes that driver, with the networkidle
+# captcha exclusion already baked in, on its GitHub releases.
+DRIVER_REPO = "bugbasesecurity/patchright"
 
 def patch_file(file_path: str, patched_tree: ast.AST) -> None:
     with open(file_path, "w") as f:
         f.write(ast.unparse(ast.fix_missing_locations(patched_tree)))
 
+def patch_driver_version_file() -> None:
+    # Playwright-Python 1.61+ reads driver_version from a DRIVER_VERSION file
+    # instead of a setup.py string constant. Pin it to the patched driver version
+    # so ensure_driver_bundle() resolves to our published release asset.
+    driver_version_file = "playwright-python/DRIVER_VERSION"
+    if os.path.exists(driver_version_file):
+        with open(driver_version_file, "w") as f:
+            f.write(f"{patchright_driver_version}\n")
+
+def patch_ensure_driver_bundle(node: ast.FunctionDef) -> None:
+    # Playwright-Python 1.61+ assembles the bundle from the vanilla playwright-core
+    # npm package via ensure_driver_bundle(). Replace its body so it downloads our
+    # patched driver ZIP from the fork's releases instead. (Pre-1.61 used a
+    # cdn.playwright.dev url constant, handled by the url rewrite below.)
+    if node.name != "ensure_driver_bundle":
+        return
+    node.body = ast.parse(f'''\
+destination_path = f"driver/playwright-{{driver_version}}-{{zip_name}}.zip"
+if os.path.exists(destination_path):
+    return
+os.makedirs("driver", exist_ok=True)
+url = f"https://github.com/{DRIVER_REPO}/releases/download/v{{driver_version}}/playwright-{{driver_version}}-{{zip_name}}.zip"
+subprocess.check_call(["curl", "-L", "--fail", "-o", destination_path, url])
+if not os.path.exists(destination_path):
+    raise RuntimeError(f"Driver bundle {{destination_path}} was not downloaded.")
+''').body
+
 # Adding _repo_version.py (Might not be intended but fixes the build)
 with open("playwright-python/playwright/_repo_version.py", "w") as f:
     f.write(f"version = '{patchright_version}'")
@@ -37,24 +72,30 @@ def patch_file(file_path: str, patched_tree: ast.AST) -> None:
     with open("playwright-python/pyproject.toml", "w") as f:
         toml.dump(pyproject_source, f)
 
+# Pin DRIVER_VERSION (Playwright-Python 1.61+ file-based driver version)
+patch_driver_version_file()
+
 # Patching setup.py
 with open("playwright-python/setup.py") as f:
     setup_source = f.read()
     setup_tree = ast.parse(setup_source)
 
     for node in ast.walk(setup_tree):
-        # Modify driver_version
+        # Redirect the 1.61+ driver bundle download to our patched release asset
+        if isinstance(node, ast.FunctionDef):
+            patch_ensure_driver_bundle(node)
+
+        # Modify driver_version (pre-1.61 string-constant form; no-op on 1.61+)
         if isinstance(node, ast.Assign) and isinstance(node.value, ast.Constant) and isinstance(node.targets[0], ast.Name):
             if node.targets[0].id == "driver_version" and node.value.value.startswith("1."):
-                # node.value.value = node.value.value.split("-")[0]
-                node.value.value = os.environ.get('patchright_driver_version') or patchright_version
+                node.value.value = patchright_driver_version
 
-        # Modify url
+        # Modify url (pre-1.61 cdn form; no-op on 1.61+)
         if isinstance(node, ast.Assign) and isinstance(node.value, ast.Constant) and isinstance(node.targets[0], ast.Name):
             if node.targets[0].id == "url" and node.value.value == "https://cdn.playwright.dev/builds/driver/":
                 node.value = ast.JoinedStr(
                     values=[
-                        ast.Constant(value='https://github.com/bugbasesecurity/patchright/releases/download/v'),
+                        ast.Constant(value=f'https://github.com/{DRIVER_REPO}/releases/download/v'),
                         ast.FormattedValue(value=ast.Name(id='driver_version', ctx=ast.Load()), conversion=-1),
                         ast.Constant(value='/')
                     ]